lectin

[lek-tin]

noun

Biochemistry.

1. any of a group of proteins that bind to particular carbohydrates in the manner of an antibody and are commonly extracted from plants for use as an agglutinin, as in clumping red blood cells for blood typing.

lectin

/ ˈlɛktɪn /

noun

1. a type of protein possessing high affinity for a specific sugar; lectins are often highly toxic

Word History and Origins

Origin of lectin¹

1954; < Latin lēct ( us ), past participle of legere to gather, select, read + -in ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of lectin¹

C20: from Latin lectus, past participle of legere to select + _-in

Example Sentences

The interaction between sugar and lectin can be described using a "lock and key" relationship, where the "key" is the sugar and the "lock" is the lectin.

From Science Daily

For eight weeks, he and his colleagues fed ethanol both to ordinary mice and to mice genetically engineered to lack the two pertinent lectin molecules.

From Economist

Crump says she tagged the lectins with fluorescent labels, and when she observed the mosquito cells microscopically, each lectin displayed various levels of fluorescent intensities based on the concentration of proteins within the cell.

From US News

Handcuffed to the lectin, the insulin can’t bind to insulin receptors.

From New York Times

The woman behind the bar nods and begins mixing a pair of his signature margaritas, which feature whipped lectin to create a froth.

From Washington Post